A Lingering Touch
by Lucicelo
Summary: AU: Hiroki never expected to get fired from his job and asking his father to help clear his name. Before he moved to the countryside, Akihiko suggested to become an author for extra income. Aikawa loved his work, which solidified his new status. Hiroki uses the scenery of his new home to inspire his novels. One autumn night, a new visitor enters his life, changing it for the best.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: This fic is about Hiroki getting fired from his job due to some suspicious activities which he is sure were photo shopped but he had no proof. He moves to the country but before he does that, Akihiko convinces him to submit his writings to Aikawa and he becomes an author under a pseudonym. He gets a surprise in a few chapters in the backyard of the old house his grandfather left him. As always, this is an egoist fic, Nowaki will show up later. _

_This was a prompt I made on tumblr and I guess I am taking it upon myself to write out some of them. I made some changes from what I originally wrote but the concept is still the same. For some reason, this one jumped at me, like I don't have enough to work on but either way I am on track on finishing what I have in my files. _

_-Lucicelo_

* * *

><p>Chapter 1<p>

Throughout his years of working for Mitsuhashi, Kamijou Hiroki kept himself out of any problems. Keeping out of anyone's way worked to his advantage, normally he wasn't the sociable type, so staff members had nothing too bad to say about him. He didn't bother to talk to other professors half the time, the free time he had in between classes, he used to read or grade any papers before he left for the day. Most of them didn't have his love of books which had him speaking to them unless he had a reason. Although, he was certain the avoidance of the other professors painted an obnoxious persona to him anyway. Not that he cared when many of them just went for a paycheck and not to earnestly teach their students. He was there to work and spread his knowledge of literature. Having a social life wasn't the first priority in his list.

Despite the variety of students who couldn't care less about his teachings, he wanted to present his favorite authors in the most positive matter. Having open discussions about a certain passage and getting his students to share his passion for the written word was something he hoped happened in his classroom. But he noticed the eagerness students used to have in answering questions didn't transcend into university.

Then again, he used his own experience in his literature classes as an example. He was more than willing to give his own open discussion about a book in a heartbeat.

There was another assistant professor named Tsumori, who he remembered him from T University. They always clashed opinions with him whenever they got in the same room. Hiroki took it upon himself to ignore him but for some reason, the man pestered him any time he saw him. The importance of his career overshadowed any debate with someone he didn't get along with. When he found out he shared an office with Yoh Miyagi, he got the room at the end of the hall and it was far away from Tsumori.

Having to share an office with another established professor lessened their interactions. This made Hiroki's life at the university more tolerable, well less stressful. Despite the students lack of interest, he placed his focus on them. Giving them plenty of essays didn't kill him, reading the wrong interpretations and horrible grammar did.

Hiroki expected Professor Miyagi to seem cool and serious, considering he was a respected literature professor but he turned into this jokester. The disillusionment in his vision of this man shocked him but he quickly got over it. Their friendship gathered at a slow pace but Hiroki let Miyagi slightly get inside of his head. It was almost comparable to his friendship with Akihiko.

The timeline for his road to getting certified as a true professor was on the right course. He assumed it was on the right course due to Miyagi explaining how he got his place in Mitsuhashi through their conversations. Which presented him with a good road in what he had to accomplish and gathering more feedback in how he handled his class.

He had nothing to worry about, well, he thought nothing bad would happen to him.

When the secretary from the Dean's office called their phone. Hiroki was left stumped at the explanation she gave him when he talked to her. The vague words didn't provide any proper clues on why his presence was required.

Hiroki put his bag on his shoulder as he rubbed his temples. The timing to go to the Dean's office wasn't favorable, he was in the middle of grading papers and in half an hour he had to give a lecture.

Miyagi dismissed his fears with his usual lame jokes. He had an encouraging smile on his face as he lightly pushed him out of their office.

Hiroki had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. Putting on a strong front, he hurried over to Dean Takatsuki's office before the man thought he didn't consider this meeting important enough to hurry.

* * *

><p>Sitting in front of Dean Takatsuki, Hiroki fiddled with his fingers in nervousness. The Dean's body language and overall demeanor wasn't giving him a positive picture. Maybe his performance wasn't up to standards or the scores of his students revealed a lack in his teaching ability. On his last review, his report specified there was nothing to complain about in his teaching methods. No other reasons entered his mind, he drew a blank on any possible reasons for his presence.<p>

When he knocked on the door, he was only told to sit down and close the door. His boss sneaked glances at him while he held a large manila envelope in his hands. Whatever was in that envelope might end his whole career and he didn't know what was in there. This made him more anxious than he already felt.

Hiroki tried avoiding his eyes, he didn't want to stare at the envelope that might end his teaching career or send him to some program to improve his teaching skills. He successfully tutored students who flourished in high end universities in the past. It wasn't his fault that his stricter regimen of teaching wasn't what the students expected when they entered his class. He warned them in the first week so they had a chance to drop out of his class.

The sound of a cough broke the silence.

Hiroki turned his eyes toward his boss, who held the manila envelope to his chest. He saw the dean's name on the front and another note which read: "Open immediately."

"Do you know why I have called you here?"

Hiroki shook his head. "No. Your secretary only told me to come."

"I see." Takatsuki opened the envelope and took out a stack of papers, keeping them from Hiroki's view. "In this university, I have not had a single problem with my staff since I first took this position." Hiroki knew this already but didn't voice it. "And I will keep problems out of my university until I retire."

"I understand but what does that have to do with me?"

The older man presented Hiroki pictures of him in compromising positions with a high school student. He didn't have enough time to register anything before the images were removed from his face. Takatsuki crossed his arms over his chest in disapproval while leaning against his desk.

Hiroki's mind was on overdrive. He didn't understand how he was in those images and the mystery girl didn't register as anyone he knew in his life. He had plenty of cousins who were clingy and grabbed an arm while he met with them at times but none of them wore a public high school uniform. To his knowledge, all of them were in private high schools. He thought this was a sick joke. Almost assuming this was a dream, he pinched his hand. He thought he would wake up in his bed without such an awful claim against him. Nothing happened.

"I can't have such a scandal coming through this university, Kamijou." Dean Takatsuki said, he threw the printed pictures on his desk. "

Hiroki clenched his jaw, not trusting himself to say anything to defend himself. An idea came into his head on why this happened, someone was framing him. Yet, this person didn't know him very well. His interest swayed to men, not women, especially those who were in high school.

He didn't recognize the student and he never got a good look at her face. From the quick presentation the Dean showed him before taking the pictures back from his face, the details were fuzzy in his mind. All that stood out was the public high school uniform.

Fighting back and claiming he was innocent wouldn't look good on his credibility. Accepting the accusation ruined any chance at finding work in another university. Either way, he buried himself with the presence of the evidence which came from that manila envelope.

All of his investment in becoming a professor crumbled before his eyes. He felt his hands trembling in anger of this accusation.

Gripping his hands to stop the shivers, Hiroki flinched slightly when his nail dug into his skin. He knew he had to defend himself but from the disgusted look on Dean Takatsuki's face, he had no chance.

Hiroki relaxed his face enough to open his mouth to speak. "I already know you won't hear my explanation because your mind is already made up."

The man started to explain. "The evidence is quite clea-"

"Then_ fire_ me." Hiroki glanced at the low quality paper, glaring at the pile. "There is no point in arguing. I already know you won't change your perspective because of these claims. Besides, I can always get someone else to prove my innocence."

Seeing the signs of a possible lawsuit, Takatsuki said. "You don't need to sue us, the evidence will bounce back at you."

"Who said anything about suing you?" Hiroki inquired as he stared up at him with an arched brow. "I just said I had someone who might send someone to come help my case. Rest assured, a big scandal through a lawsuit will gather bad results on both ends."

The Dean nodded his head stiffly. "It's good that you realize the gravity of this situation. Pack your things and leave the premises." He turned his back to Hiroki and placed his focus on the window.

Hiroki grabbed his bag, stood up, and pushed the chair behind him. He only knew one person who could help him and his pride took a hit in admitting he needed his help. He never asked his father for _any_ type of help after he left home but he had no choice.

Glancing at the papers with the photos on the desk, he held back his tears of anger as he left the room. Closing the door behind him, he left the university.

He didn't want any of his ex-students to witness his walk of shame out of the place.

* * *

><p>Soshi pushed up his glasses as Hiroki ended his tale. Letting out a deep sigh, he leaned back in his chair while he stared at his son. The manner Hiroki's boss dismissed him without investigating everything with some help from the police was sloppy. Whenever someone in his company did anything wrong, he went through every single measure to check for any evidence and testimony from anyone who witnessed anything the person was accused of doing. The last thing he needed was problems from an ex employee after termination.<p>

He watched his son's distressed face, the manner he tried controlling the volume of his voice. Hiroki had fought him on continuing his love for literature when he informed him the major he picked when he entered university. Honestly, he wished Hiroki inherited his company but he realized his son's place resided in books. Forcing him to take over his business would drive all of his hard work into the ground.

Besides, he warmed up to the idea when Hiroki got that assistant professor position. The determination and drive he had when he worked appeared in Hiroki's eyes.

After this hidden scandal, Hiroki couldn't go back to apply for any more teaching positions if Mitsuhashi placed him in a blacklist. He was sure there was one shared in between all the universities in Japan just to keep any unworthy professors away from their pristine universities.

Leaning back in his chair, Soshi ignored a call from his cell phone, keeping his eyes on his son. "I will call my lawyer so she can talk to the police. Just keep a low profile while they settle this whole debacle." Soshi told Hiroki while he silenced his cell phone and placed it on his desk.

Hiroki nodded his head slowly. "So..you believe me right? I don't need to explain everything again?"

Soshi stared at him with an arched brow. "Of course I believe you. The moment you told me the evidence placed you in a relationship with a _woman,_ I knew they could be easily dismissed through the investigation."

Hiroki had already told his parents of his preference toward men when he was in high school. Now that was the most distressing thing he had ever done in his whole life. They were the most important people in the world to him. There was no big reaction from his parents, Hiroki suspected they figured it out on their own and only waited for him to tell them.

"There will be some discretion right? I don't need anyone else to think I am capable of doing something like this."

"Yes. Motou's contacts won't make a big fuss over the whole process. They will grab the evidence themselves from your ex-boss before anything else." Soshi checked the clock on his desk. "This will happen in the morning once I call them when you leave."

Hiroki let out a deep sigh. "I honestly don't know how this happened. I made sure to keep myself away from people to prevent getting a target on my back."

Soshi tapped his fingers on his desk. "You were seen as a threat, Hiroki. I had my share of attempted blackmail when I started getting into the family business. It's nothing new."

Hiroki frowned. "I am not in business, father. I am an assistant professor in _literature._"

"_EX_ assistant professor." Hiroki glared at his father. "Get used to the fact that you are not working in that field anymore. You are blacklisted by this dismissal alone and when this investigation is done they might take you off this list. You might not want to teach there again after all of this is over."

"Then what am I supposed to do for work? If you think I will start working for you, you are sorely mistaken."

Soshi rolled his eyes, he told Hiroki with a smirk on his face. "I don't want dead weight in my office."

"Father!"

"Calm down, son, I am only teasing." Soshi interlaced his fingers together on his lap.

"Yeah right.." Hiroki muttered as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Besides, I have some money saved up to last me for a while. I might have to downgrade to a much smaller apartment.."

Soshi kept back a comment in Hiroki coming back home but his stubborn son would never agree to such a thing. Knowing he had some money saved up took away some of his worries, Hiroki won't starve during this forced vacation.

A buzz came from the office phone when Soshi pressed the button. "Yes?"

His secretary told him. **"Kamijou-san, Akiyama-san is here for his meeting with you."**

"Thank you, once Hiroki leaves my office send him in." Soshi informed her, he turned to Hiroki. "Don't worry about a thing, son. I will make sure this will all settle down and your name won't be tarnished." He stood up, Hiroki followed suit as they both walked toward the door.

Hiroki awkwardly reached out his arms and wrapped them around his father. Soshi stared down at Hiroki in shock, Hiroki had not hugged him in the a longest time. The only other person Hiroki held was his mother, who never let Hiroki leave without her embrace.

Soshi patted Hiroki's hair down. "Son?" He inquired in a soft voice.

"Thank you...thank you for helping me, father." Hiroki choked out, he let his fear come out for the first time in years. "I almost didn't think you would..."

Soshi wrapped his arms tight around him and told him. "It's no problem at all. You are my only child after all."

* * *

><p>Hiroki sat in the middle of his living room with a red pen in his mouth. Papers scattered all over the floor, plenty of them had an 'x' over a place Hiroki didn't think suited him. Either they needed repairs or were too old-fashioned for his taste. Slowly growing aggravated, Hiroki stood up, walked to his fridge and took out a beer. His frown grew deeper when he saw his almost vacant fridge, he needed to move out soon. He didn't want to stay in this city anymore.<p>

His best bet was moving back with his parents which was something he didn't want to do. Sure, he loved his parents but after leaving home, he had no strong feelings in going back. There was an occasional visit to talk about what had happened in their lives and maybe have dinner. After getting used to living alone all this time, he didn't want to explain himself if he ever returned late from anywhere he went.

Suddenly, Hiroki remembered that his grandfather left him a property in the countryside. He grimaced, he wasn't sure of the conditions of the place and he never got an actual photograph when he was handed the will in high school. He gave the will to his parents for safe keeping since his home was usually filled to the brink with books, he would have lost it himself.

He had no choice in the matter, it helped that he used to help his maternal grandparents in their farm during the summer. Besides, he wasn't a total city boy, he could handle himself in the countryside.

Taking a swig of his beer, he walked back to his spot on the living room floor. He stared down at the papers and knew the will of that property meant he wouldn't have to pay rent. All he had to do was set up the gas and water for the place before he left Tokyo.

Having the place in almost the middle of nowhere meant he wouldn't have to deal with any awful neighbors. He was certain many of the people he met as a teen still lived there. If not, then his books would remain his company. His books had never betrayed him once and the serenity of the close forests might calm him down.

"This means I have fetch the deed tomorrow...just great." He rubbed his temples as he gathered all of these papers for the recycling later on in the week. "Then the rental of the car too, whatever, at least I won't have to worry about paying for a new place."

He placed all of the papers in one bag while he stared at the daunting task of packing all of his books. A feeling of dread went through him, he might need to pay extra money for these heavy books he had in his collection.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Akihiko lit up another cigarette after he snuffed out the shorter one he finished inside of his panda ashtray. He ignored the glare Hiroki directed his way over his tobacco habit. There was no way he was quitting cold turkey any time soon, he had grown used to it after so many years of doing it. It helped with some of the stresses he had in his life as an author, Aikawa had to think those sticks for making him tolerate her when she went into one of her many rants. Besides, most of the people he knew in his life smoked, one of the few exceptions sat in front of him.

He put away his lighter while he hooked a leg over his other leg and relaxed against his sofa. Watching Hiroki taking a gulp of the green tea he prepared, he saw him wincing and glanced down at the cup in his hands. Akihiko knew his tea making skills were lackluster but he didn't see the need for Hiroki to show his displeasure. It was only polite to mask the fact it didn't taste too good. Honestly, he didn't care, at least Hiroki didn't suck up to him like most people in his life.

Maybe this was the time to put in his old suggestion from when they graduated high school. For Hiroki to submit his works to his publishing house and cease the fight for his old job when his talents were wasted on them. He believed Hiroki had amazing writing talent, despite Hiroki's criticisms and lack of confidence, his friend had amazing ideas to share with the world. Having sneaked peeks at Hiroki's creative writing in high school and university, he didn't want him to push away a good opportunity. He wouldn't even need to put his own name on the books, he could always put in a pseudonym in replacement of his name.

Akihiko let out a long puff of smoke when he commented. "I told you continuing that job would bite you in the ass one day." He never understood why Hiroki took on teaching people when the man hated interaction with most of the general population. "Hell, working for your father would have been better for you. Something I would _never _do in my life. I left that shit to Haruhiko, he isn't completely incompetent."

Hiroki picked up a manila envelope on the coffee table, "Shut up." He reached over the table and hit Akihiko on the shoulder. "I was doing really well at my job Akihiko."

Akihiko smirked. "Oh yes, considering how I got word of your _demon_ status from the rumor mill in between the students."

"There are _harder_ professors at Mitsuhashi, I was helping them prepare for the work load when they took on those classes." Hiroki huffed. "Some students even come back to thank me for my strict regimen so it was worth it." He saw Akihiko's questioning gaze. "Those students exist! Besides, the ones who failed my class wasted their money when they didn't quit before the deadline."

Akihiko shrugged his shoulders. "Either way, you worked yourself ragged for not a lot of pay. Half the time you complained about the stresses of your job, Hiroki."

"I know but everyone complains about their job." Hiroki glanced at him. "You complain about your job as an author."

"Only because I don't like going to the events to promote my work that is the job of the publishing house." Akihiko explained. "Having to explain my book so many times gets tiring after a while. For some reason, people actually like me to buy them apparently."

Hiroki rolled his eyes. "You painted a smooth persona of an author, if they knew who you really were they wouldn't be buying your shit."

"Well, it's shit that is making me money." He winked at Hiroki. "You are the one who first said I had the talent for writing back then."

"And where it has gotten you, an inflated ego the size of Japan."

"Why thank you."

Hiroki scoffed. "You seriously don't take anything seriously don't you?"

"Of course I don't, but I am pissed that someone got you fired over whatever issue they had with you." Akihiko said as he tapped the end of his cigarette in the ash tray. "Besides, whoever tried it will regret it. Your father won't let them get away with this. If there is one thing I can respect about your old man, it's the fact he is ruthless when it comes to someone coming after his family."

Hiroki arched a brow. "You should try saying that to my father, he might actually have some nice things to say about you for once."

"Nope, I know he likes me, he just doesn't know it yet."

"Whatever,"

"Anyway, I warned you that teaching wasn't for you. Just because some of the kids you tutored weren't so bad doesn't mean the rest would be the same." Akihiko took a long drag and blew it out of his thin lips. "Being an editor or a writer suits you _way _more."

Hiroki tossed the envelope in his hands on the table. "Akihiko...my writing isn't up to par with yours, I can't do it." There was one thing he admitted to himself, it was that he had no confidence in his writing.

Akihiko rolled his eyes. "Hiroki, you have a talent for writing just like I do. I wouldn't be pushing you so hard if I didn't believe in you. Besides, the guy who looked at your writing when we were in university was a jealous twit. He failed in the industry after signing up his little girlfriend who demanded to get in without the writing talent."

"He _failed_?" Hiroki placed the back of his hand to his lips to hold back his chortle.

"See? That means he was a hack and I was right on the status of your writing ability." Akihiko smiled lightly. "I still have a copy of an old creative writing assignment you did in university. I can send it to Aikawa when she comes around today to check up on my work. Who knows, she might sign you up on the spot after showing it to Isaka."

Hiroki contemplating giving Akihiko permission in sending in a piece of his old work to Aikawa. Although, it was odd that Akihiko was _asking_ him before even submitting anything. Maybe, Akihiko did have confidence in him and wanted him to agree before he took on turning into an author for a full time job. He had to admit, he imagined life as an author but his path as a literature professor put a full stop to it. The workload prevented any free writing time unless he lessened the assignments which he didn't think was possible.

He had a list of ideas in a file in his laptop, a file he stopped opening after his life grew more hectic from his homework load. Oddly enough, he had gotten some fresh ideas throughout the year. It was probably a sign to attempt writing his ideas but something always blocked his path. The moment he left his own thought process, he felt excited at the prospect of actually writing something.

Looking up, Akihiko waited for his answer.

Hiroki gulped, he had nothing to lose. Taking this chance would help generate some income when he moved to the countryside. Besides, he didn't think he would find work in the town his grandfather kept his home, the locals held most of the positions anyway.

"Alright."

Akihiko grinned. "I knew you would agree, I will show her the copies I have in my old papers. You won't regret it."

* * *

><p>Fuyumi held Hiroki tight in her arms as she rubbed circles on his back. Even though Hiroki didn't show his emotions very often, she knew her son well enough that he got it all out when he returned home or hid in a private location. After hearing what happened to him, she didn't understand how no one noticed her son didn't give a look toward women. Then again, Hiroki wasn't the social type, no one would have noticed anything different if they didn't spent a lot of time with him. She was sure Hiroki would find something else in his life which wouldn't give him a lot of stress. Living in her father's old home might help him, she took note of Hiroki's relaxed behavior after he returned from the countryside in the summer.<p>

A breath of fresh air in a new location was something Hiroki deserved. This oncoming hidden investigation wouldn't help him relax. Hiroki made sure he was busy through his job or reading new books, a stress releasing place wasn't a bad thing for him. Besides, the truth this so called 'scandal' would come out and Hiroki might remain in the countryside at the end of everything. The distance didn't unsettle her, she traveled back home due to school in the city.

Hiroki closed his eyes as he let his mother coddle him, well holding him in her arms. He was just glad she didn't go overboard in trying to make him feel better. Although, she never made a huge deal out of anything unless it angered her. He assured her when he finished explaining the situation and why he needed the deed to his grandfather's home. His decision to live in the countryside was not a spur of the moment thing. Not when he left everyone he knew and would only get in communication through his cell phone or the house phone he needed to connect.

A slight feeling of anxiousness passed through him, remembering Akihiko's promise at giving his old work to Aikawa made his heart race. The last time someone read his work, he accepted the criticism and applied it to his work. The matter the criticism was given to him made him want to prove the man wrong. According to Akihiko, his career was down the shitter so he might have a chance this time.

Hiroki muttered. "You can let go of me now."

Fuyumi loosened her grip, Hiroki took a step back from her arms. "You should know better than to expect me to let you come back home without a hug."

Hiroki's lips quirked up. "Of course, I don't expect anything less from you."

Fuyumi took a step back as she stared right up at him. "I know it must have been hard asking your father for help." Fuyumi commented. "He will make sure everything is fixed."

Hiroki rubbed the back of his neck, his mother knew him better than anyone. "Yes...although I can't stay in the city, the rent of the apartment will drain my savings quickly. At least the house grandfather left me would help cut down the expenses I have."

"And you said that house wouldn't be useful for you in the future." She chastised him. "You need to ask for your grandfather's forgiveness when you visit his grave. He really took you into consideration when he planned who to leave his possessions to. He never trusted anyone else with his home when he put in so much effort in making sure it was intact after all of these years."

"I know." Hiroki said in shame. "Don't worry, once I settle down at the house I will go visit him. I don't want him coming after me as a ghost because I kept disrespecting his house."

Fuyumi snickered. "It would be exactly like him if he came back." She reached in the pocket of her kimono and took out the deed. "I'm sure he left some furniture for you to use but my brothers probably took everything from the house to sell." She handed Hiroki the deed. "If you need any help and can't reach us here at home, I'm sure the nearest neighbor will agree to help you."

Hiroki held the deed in a light grip. "I rarely talk to new people unless it's absolutely necessary so there is no way I will be talking to the locals there."

"At least let them know someone is living in your grandfather's house. A lot of them already know he has passed and might think the house is abandoned at this point." Hiroki groaned. "They will assume you were a city boy all your life so don't take anything they say to heart."

"Oh yes, they won't after I chew them off for _not_ minding their own business." Hiroki scoffed. "Mom, I will be fine. I didn't spent all of those summers with grandfather just so I could ask the people there for help on everything going on in the house."

"Of course," She told him. "Just call us more often this time, Hiro-chan." Fuyumi teased him as she patted his shoulder. "Are you sure you don't need us to help you clean the house?"

Hiroki shook his head. "I'll be fine, grandfather kept the place spotless when he was still alive if I remember correctly. So it might just be a lot of dust covering the whole place or those dumb talismans he taped on the outside."

"That's true," Fuyumi stood against the front door when she said. "Remember never to peel those off, it was one of the clauses of owning that house."

"Yeah I know," Hiroki frowned. "What were those things for anyway?"

"It was mostly because of an old superstition in keeping demons out of the house. I would have to say it was give us all a peace of mind since the house was located in the middle of a forest area of the town." Fuyumi explained. "Although, father kept a few extra talismans in each of the rooms, they are so small you won't even notice them."

Hiroki sighed. "I never took him as a superstitious man but alright, I won't _ever _remove any of them from the house."

"Good," She grinned as she gave him one last hug. "When are you leaving the city?"

Hiroki responded. "In a few days, I have to finish packing everything and make sure the movers don't leave anything behind. I'm probably going to use some of my savings to buy a car, there is no way I am using a bicycle."

Fuyumi let go of him and crossed her arms over her chest. "You need to get over this dislike of bicycles, I already know you won't use that car very often."

"I might use it for traveling around, you never know I might actually leave the house."

Fuyumi held back a laugh. "Yeah right," She winked at him before she patted his shoulders. "I'll see you soon,"

"I'll see you soon, mom."

* * *

><p>Hiroki sat against the wall of his unfurnished apartment while he held his cell phone to his ear. He nodded his head as he listened to Aikawa while she talked to him about the pieces Akihiko gave her. He didn't expect Akihiko to have handed her a pile of short stories, some of which, he didn't finish or were used for assignments in school. A good portion were fantasy or horror since his professor who taught his creative writing class had a good time scaring herself with the stories her students turned in. Although, the professor was pretty lenient in her grading, she always had a positive remark for him in the last page of his story.<p>

A smile graced his face, excitement and pride filled his body over hearing his work wasn't all for nothing. He might actually make a career out of his passion for books and he didn't see the downsides to continuing on this path. Memories of Akihiko's cranky face when he finished a novel appeared in his mind, for such a creative mind, the man finished his work late. Although, in recent years, Akihiko had improved his track record.

He pulled his legs up to his chest with one arm while he stared at the boxes piling the room across from him. If this all panned out to his favor, he was seriously thanking Akihiko when he saw him again. Well, after he settled everything he had to do at his new home.

**"I loved your work Kamijou-san! Why didn't you show me your stuff earlier?" **Aikawa raved through the phone. "**Sensei gave me a collection of your short stories and I have to say, they are amazing. It's no wonder he has you look at his work before he submits it to us, you have a way with words."**

"Uh...thank you." He honestly didn't know what else to tell her.

**"Please tell me you have some ideas for a full length novel because after I showed your work to Isaka he was impressed."**

"Yes, I do." Hiroki answered. "I have them on my laptop and I can probably give you an idea once I look through them. Do you need a synopsis on one of my new ideas right now?"

**"It's quite alright, we already have an idea with what to do with your short stories once you sign up with our publishing company. I can always come over with the paperwork Isaka is in the process of preparing for you. He knows you will sell just as many books as Usami-sensei in no time."**

"You already have an idea on what to do with them?" Hiroki inquired with surprise. "I would've thought you wanted something new out of me before signing me up."

**"From the work we have read from you, all they need is some polishing and they will be packed together. But I noticed some of them didn't have an ending, they cut off in the middle or left the problem unsolved. Do you think you can complete them?"**

"I think I still have the original files in my laptop somewhere and I can find the ones I know for sure are not finished yet. Then, you can read them again and tell me if they will be in this collection you are talking about."

**"That would be perfect, thank you!"** Aikawa told him, Hiroki heard the enthusiasm in her voice. **"Now, will you stay in one genre or will you branch out into different ones? It is always good to know beforehand so we can plan out the promotion for the releases when you complete your work."**

Hiroki contemplated it for a moment before he answered. "I might stay in the same genre for a while but I won't know for sure until I get a new idea. In the meantime, I know I will stay clear of writing any romance novels, that might come out later."

**"This sounds perfect. Now do you have any questions?"**

"I was wondering...can I change my name for these books? I don't want to use my real name." Hiroki asked her, they spent the rest of the phone call trying to settle a location for him to meet her at before he moved out to his new home.

She didn't voice her displeasure that he was moving away from the city. Thankfully, she didn't ask about his old job or why Akihiko now insisted in checking out his writing. Her professionalism showed through the call while they slowly transitioned on some other topics which didn't relate to books.

All in all, Hiroki knew this new chapter in life was going in the right direction.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Hiroki got out of his rental car as he stared at the old style home. Gripping the strap of his travel bag, he let out a sigh. The ripped and waterlogged talismans had turned somewhat yellow from the last time he spent time in this place. The exterior of the house was worse than he imagined. For a moment, he thought he stopped at the wrong house. Until, he saw those ridiculous talismans and he groaned. He scrunched up his face, he wanted to rip those things off of the walls but it was in the will that he didn't disturb anything left behind in the fine print. Talismans and charms included.

Before he left the city, he made sure that the electricity, gas, and water was turned on at the house before he left Tokyo. Having his new address on hand, he told them all of his new information while he finished packing the last of his possessions in boxes. His books had special care when they were placed in their multiple boxes. The moving company had the option of packaging his belongings but he wanted to do it himself.

Suddenly, living a distance away from the town didn't sound so bad. Remembering back when he was a child, his grandfather had constant company who probably questioned the abundance of talismans. Living in a small town brought on some superstitions that Hiroki never cared to understand since he never encountered a ghost in his life. His old acquaintances claimed such things but he knew they pushed it up for attention.

The sad state of the outside disguised the interior of the house. Hiroki knew for a fact that his grandfather wasn't lazy in keeping his floors and his pluming in top shape. He didn't know if he needed to replace some of his grandfather's old appliances before winter came around. Although, he heard from his mother that her brothers sold all of the big furniture so they wouldn't gather dust. Some appliances remained, he might have to replace those outdated models.

Taking his phone from his pocket, he checked his phone and saw no missed calls from anyone. He saw a text from Akihiko. Postponing his answer for later, he assumed it was a question for research. Honestly, Akihiko had the internet, he didn't need to ask him disturbing questions. Such a lazy ass. When his possessions were safely inside of his new home, then he would answer his friend.

Observing the whole surrounding area from his spot near the car, he felt a chill go up his spine.

He didn't know the countryside got so chilly in the autumn.. His time in the city sensitized his usual tough skin.

Setting down his travel bag onto the ground, he rubbed his forearms.

The moving truck parked a little bit away from the home and a burly man hopped out of the truck with a map in his hands. Hiroki kept his eyes on him while he stood beside his rental car and waited for him to come to him. After everything was packed inside of the old place he would go pay his respects to his grandfather.

He didn't think to buy some incense or even flowers to place on his grave when he left Tokyo. The old man probably wouldn't care since some of his old family members still remained in the town so they could put those items on his grave.

The lead man of the moving company walked up to him. "This is the Kannou house, right?" The man inquired as he pocketed his map inside of his pockets.

"Technically, it is now Kamijou but I gave your company my grandfather's surname." Hiroki answered while he crouched down to his travel bag and took out the keys to the property. "I'll open up the place and you can just set the boxes in the living room."

The man nodded his head. "Alright," As he walked away Hiroki heard him grumbling about the unnecessary amount of book the man possessed.

Hiroki rolled his eyes. These men must have carried much heavier things than his books throughout their job. There was no need to complain. He carried all of those boxes in a nice pile so they would know which ones were the heaviest. Despite his lack of exercise, his arms didn't strain one bit.

He picked up his travel back as he went toward the house and opened the front floor. The slight gaps in the curtains provided some light on the inside. He groaned at the dust which accumulated after so many years. Reaching out his hand, he wiped away the layer of dust on top of the shoe rack. Regretting his mother's request for help, the rest of the afternoon would be spent cleaning.

"Damn it." Wiping his hand on his dark pants, he tried to pat away the access dirt left on the material.

Behind him, he heard the men coming along. He moved out of the way at the front door and waited for them to get near the door before he said anything.

"Don't worry about changing socks." Hiroki told them, the lead man gave him a questioning look.

"Why is that?"

Hiroki turned on the lights near the front door and the movers who stood next to him saw the abundance of dust. "You'll only ruin your socks if you come into this dust filled place."

"Well shit," The leader scratched the back of his neck. "We can't just come in there with our shoes on, you do understand this, right?"

"Yeah, I know." Hiroki checked the large cubbard on the other side of the shoe rack and there was whole pile of slippers. "Problem solved. Just wear these slippers."

Some of them stared at them with hesitation but there was no other option. They changed out of their shoes and put on the slippers. Hiroki already had his own pair which he had in his travel bag. He took them out and swapped his shoes with them. Placing them on the shoe rack he explored the house.

He started opening the curtains of the living room to let more light inside of the place. His caught onto the small charms attached to the rods. Poking at them with his index finger, he heard a slight chime coming from them. Well, at least he would know where some noises came from in the middle of the night. He didn't get easily scared but sometimes his mind wandered the worst conclusion at times during the dark.

Wandering back to the front, he instructed the movers to place his things in the living room he just came out of. They took the larger objects into the room first as Hiroki went up the stairs to the second floor. His eyes adjusted to the lack of light as he walked down the hall and saw his grandfather's room at the end of the long hallway.

He wasn't going in there. It felt wrong taking over the room of his grandfather who only ever let him go in there to retrieve anything he needed. Instead, he settled in opening the doors of the other rooms of that floor and found his old room. Well, it originally belonged to his mother and it passed onto him whenever he visited.

It wasn't in too bad of a shape. Just some deep cleaning and he could sleep in there without a problem. He groaned when he saw another charm on the curtain rod.

"Did he have to place them in _every_ single room in this house? " Hiroki left the door open as he walked back down the stairs and went toward the kitchen. "I'm used to those damn talismans not these chime things."

A young man walked toward Hiroki when he asked him. "Do you need us to move any of your furniture in certain areas?"

Hiroki shook his head. "It's fine, I have to clean all of the house anyway."

After everything was placed in the living room, the movers left the house. Hiroki handed the lead mover a good sized tip to divide between all of the other movers who came along with him. They expressed their thanks before they left in their moving van as Hiroki looked over his shoulder. He groaned as he looked at the dust. Knowing full well that wishing wouldn't get it to disappear, he needed to start cleaning.

A few seconds passed as Hiroki closed the door to the place. He locked it, walking away in a fast pace. Visiting his grandfather sounded so amazing at the moment. Yes, looking at a gravestone was better than sneezing over dust for a few hours.

* * *

><p>Walking through the rows of graves, Hiroki noticed all of the fresh flowers, the clean slates, and the scent of incense filled the air.<p>

Sounds of his sneakers crunching the leaves under his feet and the chirping birds, reached his ears. Wrapping his sweater sound his body even tighter, he read the names of the headstones and tried remembering the ones before he reached his grandfather. At times, he had to squint due to his bad eyesight but the names were clear to him. He sighed when a shiver went through his spine, the weather grew colder the more he walked deeper into the cemetery.

He had not visited his grandfather's grave since he passed many years ago. There was no thrill in talking to the plot of a dead man but he knew some superstitions held up for a reason. He didn't want to risk having a dream of his grandfather beating him up with a wad of newspaper. This was something he always remembered him doing whenever he got in trouble. At least it was behind closed doors and not in front of people. It sounded laughable but it was better than a wooden cane to the ass.

Hiroki spotted the grave to his right. He saw a bushels of flowers on each side and a closed container of his grandfather's favorite food in the middle. Stopping in front of it, he crouched down and brushed away some of the loose petals that fell from the flowers. He might have to bring some flowers sometime in the week before he really settled into his new home.

He could imagine his grandfather, Toshio Kanno, smirking in the afterlife. Stroking his grey beard while holding up a cup of medicinal green tea which reeked of herbs. Hiroki didn't understand how he managed to keep the stuff down without gagging.

"You got your fucking wish old man, I am going to live in your house." Hiroki cleared his throat. "Thanks for giving it to me...I didn't think I would actually need it due to my job in the city. I heard from mother that you called it a useless occupation but I did great at it thank you very much. Don't worry about it getting destroyed, I know how much it meant to you. Hell, you might come after me in spirit or in my dreams to beat me with a newspaper."

Rubbing his hands on his jeans, a feeling came on his shoulder and he stiffened. His eyes widened, he tried to remain calm as he read the name Toshio Kanno. Peeking from the corner of his eyes, he didn't see anything on his shoulder. He swore he felt someone's hand applying pressure, almost in a comforting gesture. It couldn't be his grandfather. The man never patted shoulders, his thing was ruffling his hair as if he was a child. If anything, he was kidding about coming back as a spirit. Not that he believed in the supernatural _that_ much. Also, he heard no one walking through the cemetery.

Standing up on his feet, he turned around and saw no one behind him. Observing the area, he didn't catch anyone sneaking away or any suspicious activity around the other graves. A shiver went through his spine.

"Fuck," Hiroki laughed nervously. "I must be tired, I am imagining shit that is not there."

Gazing down at his grandfather's tombstone, he bit his bottom lip. Nerves traveled through his body which made his hands shiver. He shoved them in his pockets. He took in a deep breath and then released in a slow pace.

"Well..." Hiroki gulped as he averted his eyes. "I'll bring some flowers next time I visit...bye."

Hiroki hurried along the long path and stared back at the tomb one more time just to reassure himself. His jaw dropped when he saw a long haired man standing right in front of his grandfather's grave. He froze on the spot. The stranger waved at him, the gold bangles on his wrist clanged at the movement but Hiroki didn't hear anything. Hiroki's attention went to what was on the man's head. It seemed like he had a necklace on his head with a clear teardrop type pendant in the middle of his forehead.

When he averted his eyes from the item, his eyes connected with the man's deep blue eyes. A nagging feeling crept on him, he didn't know whether to fear the man or not. He had not noticed him in the vicinity or heard him coming toward the grave. He was certain he didn't stand beside him when he looked around. His hand twitched as he broke eye contact. He gritted his teeth as he took off running.

He missed the solemn expression on the stranger's face. His blue eyes stayed on Hiroki's form as he ran away.

* * *

><p>Hiroki came to a stop when he made it near the main town. He took in gulps of air, his body slightly crouched to regain his breath. He hesitated in looking back again and he saw no indication that the man followed after him. One thing was for sure, there was no way a man that big walked through the cemetery without making any sort of noise. The abundance of dried leaves would have crunched under his feet and the stone walkways made noise no matter what shoes anyone wore. His face paled. Shaking his head to get rid of the thoughts of witnessing something paranormal, his rational side kicked in. His distraction in focusing on his grandfather made sure he didn't focus on his surroundings. Yeah, that had was the answer.<p>

He had no belief in the paranormal. Sure, he read about it on a sudden kick when he attended high school. Talk of ghosts surfaced as a popular topic on the student body. Most of them took it upon themselves to enter haunted hospitals or any buildings rumored to have spirits. He kept himself out of such things. His logical side kicked in but also his grandparents stories on treating the dead with respect. It was best to leave such things alone and to not poke fun. Awful things happened to people who messed with spirits, they understood nothing on the effects of their interference.

Although, Hiroki always wondered how his grandparents had such in depth information. It shouldn't have surprised him. The older generation had stories to last for weeks and their belief in keeping the peace in their towns kept these stories alive. He could argue that in the past the death rate and weather differed from the current time. How people prayed and gave offerings for the littlest problems. Plentiful harvest or to stop harsh storms in certain seasons.

Hiroki rubbed his temples. No use pondering about such myths. All he would attain is a headache from all of the possible spirits Japan had on the list.

Standing upright, Hiroki controlled himself. He stared his surroundings to know where exactly he ended up at. The familiar buildings clicked into place. Recognizing the bakery and the small bookstore, he resumed walking through the main road in the town. Sparse amount of people wandered around the town. Many housewives, some small children holding onto their skirts. He realized vacation time for the older children didn't come for a good while. No wonder he saw no older children running around the place.

He located the general store, hurrying inside, he went straight to the cleaning supplies. Grabbing what he needed, he went toward the pre-made food boxes. Looking down at his arms, he sighed, he couldn't balance everything at the same time. He went near one of the registers, he placed them on the ground and hurried back to the food. He got enough to last him for a few days. Most of the boxes he picked at random. Placing everything at the register, the cashier gave him a smile.

"I have never seen you before, are you here visiting someone?"

Hiroki shook his head. "No, I just moved here today."

"Really? I haven't heard from anyone in town that there was anyone new coming in."

Hiroki kept a comment on how bored these people must be to gossip about anything as he shrugged his shoulders. He added in some cans of green tea which were located behind him. He wasn't about to eat his food without something to drink.

"I moved into my grandfather's old place." Hiroki said.

The cashier nodded her head, there was no more comments as she told him his total. Hiroki paid her with his debit card, he didn't want to shuffle money into his wallet while balancing his bags of stuff. She placed everything in two bags, the cleaning supplies in one, the food and drink with the other one.

Hiroki left the place, managing to carry both of the heavy bags in his arms. He dreaded cleaning his new home but he didn't want his clothing with dust all over them. Besides, his family might come visit after they got the news that he finally moved into the place. Their complaints on the disarray of the place wouldn't be kept quiet. He didn't want to deal with the complaints either. At least he had all the time in the world to clean now.

He had no more papers to grade, no students to lecture, and no yelling at students when they didn't listen to him. Not having to talk to other professors but Miyagi wasn't too bad. Office hours with students who only went to try to bribe him for a good grade at the end of the semester. A grin appeared in his face, liberation filled his body. He was still pissed his dismissal came from unfortunate circumstances. Though, this forceful vacation served for him to reflect on his stressful life back in the city. His parents and Akihiko expressed their concerns on his sleeping and eating patterns due to his work schedule.

His hands gripped his bags tighter to his chest. He always enjoyed coming to the countryside with his grandparents. They didn't spoil him, due to their strict upbringings, but they cared for him nonetheless. All of the grandchildren got the same treatment and none of them ever felt the other was preferred. Hiroki could argue that him getting the house was special but his grandfather had other priceless possessions. Those were given to his other grandchildren. They never sought any interest in the house so his grandfather probably never bothered to think about leaving it to them.

Besides, most of them changed regions for their jobs or left the country on overseas studies. Hiroki stayed a few hours away in Tokyo, he had a chance to come to see the house. Some guilt filled his body on his blatant disregard on wanting the place but it left his body quick. Knowing his grandfather, he probably picked the names out of a hat or flipped a coin. It made him snicker, that was probably the case.

Hurrying down the path which lead toward his home. He maneuvered around a low branch and mentally thought about pruning the branches on the trees near the house. Although he had a flashlight for when he went out at night, he didn't want to hit himself and fall on his ass. His gardening skills lacked finesse, his mother had the green thumb when she took care of her flowers in the backyard of the manor. He might have to call her for some advice since everyone else might divert onto some hocus pocus on how to keep his plants from dying on him. Then again, these trees have survived without intervention. He might just prune some branches off and leave them alone.

Unlocking the door with one hand, he stumbled on inside and kicked off his shoes. He didn't care that his socks got dirty, he had plenty of them in his wardrobe. He had not checked the area for the washing machine and he hoped there was one so he wouldn't need to buy one. Having known the main furniture was sold, the house might not have a washer but he would check the area in the back later on in the day.

Hiroki placed the bags right outside of the kitchen door as he assessed what he had to clean up first. He took out the supplies he needed and went to work. Ignoring the ache on his back, he continued on and caught onto the bareness of the kitchen. He would have to order a new electric stove and a bigger refrigerator than the one he brought along with him. The small refrigerator was good for drinks and any leftover food. He had used it for when he got into his grading sprees, it might come useful when he got more into writing the novel he pitched to Aikawa earlier in the week.

He cleaned the kitchen and placed some of his appliances in the room before he continued on to the rest of the house. This took him the rest of the day and he didn't notice that it was sunset when he moved onto the second floor. He avoided his grandparent's room as he aired out the rest of the rooms. Opening the windows while he dusted and sprayed cleaner into a rag to clean the closets. The smell of pine scented cleaner filled the air.

Taking a breaks to take gulps of his tea, he moved a curtain aside in his old room. The small charm's bell chimed from the movement. Hiroki stared at it, his eyebrows furrowing. Charms never protected against anything. Yet, he felt safe when he heard the small bell. It was probably his old feelings when he first came there on vacation.

* * *

><p>Hiroki dumped all of the used up towels in a bucket, he wiped his forehead. Finally letting his body relax, thrilled that he cleaned up the most vital surfaces of his new home. He even added a polish to the floors just to keep their shine. His hands ached from keeping their same positioning during his cleaning spree. He already decided on fixing up the rest of the furniture he had in the right places later on in the week. No need to fix up his house all in one afternoon. His stomach grumbled so he wandered into the kitchen. After he ate, he might read a book and then fall asleep.<p>

Crouching down to the level of the small refrigerator, he took out one of his take home meals and a can of green tea. He got up on his feet and walked toward the microwave and almost opened the door to the contraption before he heard a chime. He realized it was his phone and he checked the contact. Hiroki rolled his eyes. Akihiko must have grown tired of waiting for him to call back.

Pressing the answer button, he placed it near his ear. "Yes, Akihiko?"

**"How's country life, Hiroki?" **Hiroki leaned again the counter, Akihiko wasted no time in asking him that question.

"I just arrived today you dumb ass." Hiroki rolled his eyes while he popped open one of his take home dinners and placed it in the microwave he brought along with him. "I spent most of it cleaning all of the dust left behind. You would think my uncles could have come back to clean once in a while."

Hiroki heard Akihiko laughing. **"You were the one that always swore you would never take the deed to that place. They probably didn't even bother coming back after they sealed it off for you and sold most of the furniture."**

"Shut it." Hiroki snapped, his fingers drummed on the counter, he kept an eye on the microwave as it heated up his food. "Other than to bother me, what do you want?"

**"Can't a friend call his best friend in the whole world just to chat?"**

"With you it is never just a call."

**"Ah how hurtful, I only wanted to know if Aikawa has not badgered you with phone calls over your book yet."**

"Phone calls? I finished a call with her before I left Tokyo this morning." Hiroki informed Akihiko, the microwave beeped, he pressed he door open. "Although, I told her I will be working on the book I told her about. She liked my short stories enough so she's going to see what she can do with them. She might publish them on their own or on a books, she wasn't specific."

**"I see. So what name have you used for your pseudonym, Hiroki?"**

"Nobuhiro Kanno."

Akihiko snorted on the other line. **"I thought you were going to use Jun Hamasaki?"  
><strong>

"I did but I changed my mind, Nobuhiro is my grandfather from my father's side."

**"That mean old man who threw a book at me when I ate his pastry as a kid? C'mon you can choose a better name to represent yourself."**

Hiroki laughed as he took out the box from the microwave and shut the door. "He hated people taking away his sweets. I told you this before you came to my house for my birthday when we were kids. You were the one who didn't listen to me."

**"I thought you were joking with me. Who would have thought an old man would actually hit me for a stupid pastry?"**

Hiroki kept on snickering while he left the kitchen with the box in his hands. "He still brings it up when the family celebrates his birthday. You are own as the pastry stealer."

**"Oh hell no. Is that my reputation in your family?"**

"Yes and it is hilarious. Why do you think my smaller cousins hide their sweets from you? They think you will eat their sweets like a monster and leave them with crumbs."

Akihiko groaned. **"Looks like I won't go to any more parties with you ever again."**

"Good." Hiroki sat on one of the boxes left in the hallway, placing his food on his lap, he broke his chopsticks before he started eating. "The kids will enjoy themselves for once."

**"Whatever. I went for the booze not those snot nosed kids. Also, f****rom what my lodger tells me, the students are talking about your sudden dismissal and the rumors are just hilarious."**

"You have a lodger? Since when?" Hiroki inquired as he took a bite of his pork. "And don't tell me any rumors, they might be bullshit as far as I'm concerned."

**"Takahiro's brother, the kid is a lost cause in grades but he makes sure my house isn't a mess all the time. He was in your class. Someone stricter took over your spot and the students are actually missing you. He complains about this professor more than he ever did with you."**

Hiroki sighed with a smirk on his face. "Damn, I must have lost my touch if I don't put fear in them anymore. Did you tell your lodger where I went? He does know I am your friend right?"

**"Not at all. He can figure it out by himself. He doesn't need to know everything in my life anyway and he's only staying with me because Takahiro doesn't have a place to put him in."**

"Wow, you are such a generous soul." Hiroki drawled, he took another bite of his food. "Any other charity work I should know about?"

**"Nothing else, anyway I should go. I am being summoned to dinner. The kid came back late from his study group."**

"Can't keep your slave waiting, talk to you later." Hiroki hung up and finished the rest of his food and downed his tea.

After putting his trash in a bag, he unearthed his futon and rolled it out in the living room floor. He turned off all of the lights before he returned and laid on the soft futon. The window was obscured with a thick curtain, moonlight peeked through the gaps. Staring for a few moments, he turned to his phone and sent his parents a quick message before he went to sleep.

The charms around the house chimed. Hiroki didn't wake up from the bells, he only snuggled into his blankets in his deep sleep.

TBC


End file.
